Press wheel applicators



Oct. 4, 1966 s. BYLSMA ETAL PRESS WHEEL APPLICATORS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 28, 1963 i l E.

Oct. 4, 1966 s. BYLsMA ETAL PRESS WHEEL APPLICATORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 28

Oct. 4, 1966 s. BYLSMA ETAL PRESS WHEEL APFLICATORS I3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 28, 1963 United States Patent O 3,276,629 PRESS WHEEL APPLICATORS Simon Bylsma, Emil A. Madison, and Harry L. Sosalla, Sac City, Iowa, assignors to Noble Manufacturing Company, Sac City, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed Oct. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 319,227 13 Claims. (Cl. 222-44) This invention, which is a continuation-in-part application of my copending application, Ser. No. 168,135, led I au. 23, 1962, now abandoned, relates to metering apparatus, and, particularly, to metering controls adapted for use with applicators and the like.

One purpose is to provide a metering assembly for -press wheel .applicators used, for example, to distribute insecticides and herbicides, and the like.

Another purpose is to provide interchangeable insecticide and herbicide units for employment with tractors,

trition and packing.

Another purpose is to provide improved feeding and metering means for such applicators whi-ch prevents mixture of fines with material in the associated reservoir even if the applicator'is run with the feeding and metering meansshut oif.

A further purpose is to provide improved feeding .and metering means which will operate equally eifectivel no matter what the direction of movement.

Yet a further object is to providean improved feeding and metering means for applicators in which the percent of increase of rate of feed over the immediately preceding rate of feed is constant for each equal increment of adjustment of said means.

Still `another object is to provide improved feeding ,and metering means which may be set to a desired feed rate, moved or set to a different feed rate, and then reset to the original feed rate at which it meters the same quanltity originally metered.

Another purpose is to provide means for providing a plurality of applicators on or over a single press wheel of a planter or the like.

Another purpose is to provide a constant metering rate for such applications, over a wide range of speed for example.

Another purpose is to provide an improved discharge y means.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

`of the two hoppers being deleted for the sake of clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a per-spective view of a portion of the assembly of FIGURE l with parts omitted for clarity and the deflector plate in a filling position showing more clearly the placement of the metering assemblies with respect to their associated hoppers;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of a metering unit when removed from its associated hopper;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom View of the metering assembly;

FIGURE 6 is a bottom view of the metering assembly with the shutter removed;

FIGURE 7 is a partial elevation of another embodiment illustrating a metering assembly in position in the lower end of an applicator hopper;

FIGURE 8 isa top plan view of the embodiment of the metering assembly of FIGURE 7 when removed from its hopper;

FIGURE 9 is a section taken substantially -along the line 9 9 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a bottom view of the metering assembly of FIGURE 8; and

FIGURE ll is a similar View with parts removed and parts in a different position.

Like reference numerals will be used to refer to like parts throughout the following description of the drawing.

Referring to the drawings, 1 illustrates a press wheel which may form part of an agricultural machine. It may, for example, form part of a planter. The pre-ss wheel shaft is journaled in bearings or equivalent members carried by a pair of bearing plates 2 and 3. The plates in turn are welded or otherwise suitably secured to a pair of forwardly extending links 4 and 5 respectively.

VThe links are connected to a tractor or other suitable pulling implement. Since the exact mode of suspension of the press wheel shaft in the bearing plates and the mode of connection of the links to the pulling implement does not form a part of the present invention it is not further illustrated or described.

A pair of straps 6 and v7 are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the bearing plates 2 and 3 and extend generally upwardly therefrom. The straps are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to a hopper structure indicated generally at 8. In this instance the hopper is formed in two sections indicated at 9 and 10 in FIGURE 2. It will be understood that, if desired, either hopper may be omitted but it vmay be desirable to employ both, as, for example, where an insecticide is delivered from one and an herbicide from the other. A cover is indicated at 11 and a deector plate at 12. The dellector plate is so mounted on the dividing wall 13 between the hoppers that it may be positioned to deflect the material into rst one and then the other hopper. In FIGURE 2, for example, the deector is positioned for filling of hopper 10. Should any granular material be overpoured towards hopper 9 the deector will direct it into hopper 10. Once hopper 10 is lled, the deflector may be ipped about 60 clockwise to serve the same function during filling of hopper 9.

A pair of metering assemblies are indicated at 15 and 16. Each metering assembly functions to meter a desired granular material from its associated hopper located thereabove. Metering assembly 15 discharges into a ilexible, pliable tube 17 which may be composed of a plastic, either transparent or opaque, or rubber, and which terminates at a distribution unit 18. Since distribution units are known in the art they are not further illustrated or described. Feeder tube 19 extends downwardly from metering assembly 16, and similarly terminates in a distribution unit which has been omitted for the sake of 3 clarity. The position of distribution unit 18 is fixed with respect to the press wheel by a U-shaped frame or bracket 20, the ends of which are connected to the bearing plates 2 and 3 by any suitable means such as bolts 21, 22.

Metering assembly 15 is essentially a walled housing 25 composed of a pair of side walls 26, 27, and end walls 28, 29. The inte-rior bottom surface of the housing is arcuately contoured as at 30. Side wall flanges 31, 32 are received in slideways 33, 34, respectively, which are bolted to the bottom 35 of hopper 9. Bottom 35 of the hopper is apertured as at 36 directly above metering assembly 15.

An M-shaped recess 28a and 29a is formed in the interior surface of end walls 28 and 29 respectively. Each recess consists of a pair of decctor supporting surfaces, each deflector supporting surface consisting of an upper and lower ledge 37 and 38 respectively. A deector plate is indicated at 39 resting upon one of the supporting surfaces. The plate is loosely received in the appropriate supporting surface of the recess and may be quickly switched from one supporting surface to the other depending upon the direction of movement of the applicator.

The bottom arcuate interior surface 30 of the housing is apertured as at 40, the aperture contour being shown best in FIGURE 6.

A rotor bar 41 extends through the housing and rotates in a pair of bearing sleeves 42, 43, which project outwardly from walls 28, 29 respectively of the housing. Cotter pins or other suitable means 44 permit unintended longitudinal movement of the rotor bar 41 with respect to the housing 25.

Within each metering unit between end Walls 28 and 29 is .the feed rotor 45, a vaned structure mounted on and rotating with the rotor bar 41. The Iindividual vanes 46 sweep along the arcuate portion 30 of the interior bottom surface of the housing 25 as the r-otor rotates. The individual vanes clear the loose deilector plate 39 as best seen in FIGURE 4.

50 indicates a metering segment with a toothed-edge 51. Any suitable metering indications, numbers or the like, may be formed on the exterior of the segment to be visible to a user. A rotatable metering shutter 52 abuts the lower surface 53 of the housing. The metering shutter has a preferably slightly flexible indicator assembly 54 with a projection 55 in engagement with one of the teeth on the serrated edge 51. The metering segment or shutter lis pivotally connected to the housing bottom by a bolt and Washer 56. The shutter may be rotated within the limits dened by the abutments 57 and 58. The shutter also has an arcuate aperture or slot 59 which may be rotated to completely unmask the aperture 40 in the bottom of housing 25. As the shutter is moved, in this instance rotated, relative to the housing a greater or lesser overlapping area of housing aperture 40 and shutter aperture 59 are provided depending upon the direction of rotation of the shutter. Clockwise rotation of the shutter as the parts are viewed in FIGURE moves the shutter to a position of maximum overlap of the shutter and housing apertures 59 and 40 respectively. It should be understood however that the direction of rotation may optionally be varied within wide limits.

The aperture 40 is so contoured that a xed percentage increase of overlapping aperture areas is provided for each constant increment of relative movement between the shutter and the housing. That is, if, in the FIGURE 5 position, fthe setting is such that, at a given rate of speed, 2.5 pounds of granular material per acre will be delivered through the exposed overlapping shutter area, adjustment of the shutter one notch along serrated edge 51 will increase the quantity delivered by 10%, that is, to 2:75 pounds per acre. A lfurther increment of movement of one notch increases the exposed overlapping apertured area an :amount suicient to deliver a greater amount of feed, that is 3.025 pounds per acre. The percent of increase of material metered at each notch over the preceding quantity can be varied by varying the spacings between the individual serrations on the portion 51 of the hosing extension. This feature enables the user to very accurately determine the quantity of material deposited for any given unit of time.

A removable spout plate 60, which is secured in posit-ion as by screws 61 and 56, hold the metering shutter 52 in proper position for rotation, and provides a collar about which a diagonally offset spout 62 may be pivoted.

Consider now the details of an alternative embodiment of the metering unit, as shown, for example, in FIGURES 7 to 11 inclusive. It may be made as a one-piece element of metal, plastic, or fiber glass, or -the like. Whatever material is employed, it may include side walls 70, end walls 71, and a bottom wall 72 which defines an upwardly open chamber whichV may be put in communication through the opening 36 with the interior of the hopper, when the unit is inserted in the slots 64. We illustrate lateral extensions 71a from the open top, which are shaped and proportioned reasonably snugly Ito enter the slots 64. When the unit has been inserted then the latch 63 may be moved to the holding position. The wall 72 is yformed with an outlet slot or aperture 72a which is defined by converging arcuate walls, and also has an additional aperture 72b for maximum delivery. 80 indicates a metering segment with a toothed edge 81. Any suitable metering indications, numbers or the like, may be formed on the exterior of the segment, to be visible to a user. Abutting the plane lower surface 72e of the bottom 72 is a rotatable metering shutter having a perferably slightly flexible indicator assembly which overlies the edge 81. It may include the flexibly mounted or yieldingly mounted tooth 81a cooperating with the toothed edge 81 of the segment. The rotation of the shutter 82 may be permitted and limited by an arcuate slot 83 and a cooperating abutment 83a. The shutter 82 is provided with a metering aperture 84 which cooperates with the apertures 72a and 72b. At maximum setting, as in FIGURE 1l, the apertures 72a and 72b are completely unmasked. Counterclockwise rotation of the shutter 72, referring to the position of the parts in FIGURES 10 and 11, first closes the aperture 72b, and then progressively reduces the open length of 72a. Since the width of 72a is reduced progressively toward the right of Ithe structure as shown the narrowest end is the last to be closed. A removable spout plate 90, when secured in position, as by screws 91, holds the metering shutter 82 in proper position for its rotation, and provides a spout 92 to which, as desired, any sui-table passage may be secured.

Material dropping through the opening 36 is received and laterally deected by the preferably removable deector 73, to a discharge opening or slot 74 between the free edge of the deflector and the -adjustment wall 70. Bearing sleeves 75 may be formed in or secured to the end walls 71, rotatably to support the rotor bar 76.

The exterior portion of each of the rotor bars 41 and 76a may terminate in a sprocket 77, to receive any suitable sprocket chain 78. Where both units 9 and 10 lare employed only one sprocket 77 is used as shown in FIG- URE l, and may be driven by a single chain. Chain 78 passes over an idler 78a carried by a bracket 78b bolted to strap 6, and is driven by a sprocket 78C carried by the press wheel shaft 73d.

Between the end walls 71, is the feed rotor proper, a vaned structure 79 mounted on and rotating with the bar 76. It may be of any suitable material but, in practice, we find it advantageous to emply neoprene or its equivalent. The vane edges may rather closely wipe the preferably arcuately sectioned surface of the wall 72. Thus the material is wiped across the above described ou-tlet slots or apertures 72a and 72b.

It will be realized that whereas we have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless, many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spiirt contents in the hopper.

of our invention. We therefore Wish our description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting us to our precise showing.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

We provide interchangeable insecticide and herbicide units, one or both of which may be mounted above a single press wheel. The iield motions of the planter or other equipment used provide a constant agitation of the The material will drop down the bottom of the hopper and feed out naturally through the discharge aperture 36. As it flows therethrough it is -delivered to the upper surface of the deector 39 or 73. It flows down the slope of the deector and, along th'e =face of one of the side walls 26 or 70, it enters the zone of movement of the vaned rotor 45 or 79. Keep in mind that the entire assembly is in a state of constant agitation or vibration, because of its location upon the press wheel which moves over the inevitably uneven surface to be treated. The feed tubes 17 and 19 may be removably secured to the spout 60 or 92, holes 92a or ridge 60a, being shown for receiving any suitable securing member, pin or the like.

In practice, any desired calibration or sizing of delivery -apertures may be employed. We nd it advantageous to so relate the feed slide or shutter 52 or 82 to the delivery -apertures to provide a delivery rate which may, for example, vary from the range of 2 pounds to 75 pounds per acre, at normal planting speeds. However, any desired capacity may be employed.

Whereas we have illustrated in FIGURE l a single assembly with side by side hoppers for delivering, respectively, -an insecticide and a herbicide, it will be realized that the assembly may be use-d for delivering any desired substance. It will also be understood that, in connection with laterally extending 4feed bars, la plurality of such units may be employed on a single structure, with a plurality of press wheels and one or more applicators mounted above each press wheel. Similarly the hoppers may be located in tandem fashion, one behind the other, as illustrated in my co-pending application, Ser. No. 168,135, now abandoned, of which this application is -a continuation-in-part.

We claim:

1. As a new .article of manufacture, an applicator hopper for use with agricultural machinery which includes side walls having downwardly convergent lower portions and a bottom wall having therein a delivery aperture through which material to be dispensed may pass, a metering assembly removably mounted beneath such aperture, said metering assembly having a generally arcuate surfaced bottom wall, side walls and end walls, and an at least partially open top adapted for alignment with the delivery aperture, a rotor and means for rotating it, said rotor having vanes formed and adapted to sweep the arcuate bottom wall, a metering aperture in the bottom wall across which said vanes sweep, a movable shutter mounted on the metering assembly beneath the metering aperture of said `bottom wall, and means for moving the shutter whereby to vary the elective delivery area of said metering aperture.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized by cooperating means on the hopper and metering assembly for-med and 4adapted to permit said metering assembly to be inserted and removed from operating position lalong a direction generally parallel with the bottom of the hopper.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized by the provision of receiving slots 4beneath the lower wall of the hopper, the metering assembly including parts adapted slidably to enter said slots, whereby the metering assembly may be held in registry with the discharge aperture of the hopper.

4. The structure of claim 1 -further characterized in that the shutter is mounted for rotary adjustment about an axis generally perpendicular to the bottom of the hopper,

6 and further characterized by calibrating means for ndicating the adjustment at which the shutter is set.

5. In a metering assembly for the dispensing of divided or granular materials, a housing having an upwardly arcuate bottom wall, side walls and end walls, and at least partially open top, a metering aperture in the bottom wall, a rotor and means for rotating it, said rotor having vanes extending generally from end to end of the rotor and formed and adapted closely to sweep said arcuate bottom wall, said bottom wall having a lower face which is substantially plane, said lower face, and the upwardly arcuate surface of the bottom wall being penetrated by said metering aperture, said aperture being generally arcuate and increasing progressively in transverse diameter from one end to the opposite end, and a rotatable shutter `abutting the plane surface of the bottom wall and being apertured in alignment with the metering aperture, and means rfor rotating said shutter about an axis generally perpendicular to the plane surface of the bottom wall, whereby to vary the relationship between the metering aperture and the shutter aperture.

6. The structure of claim 5 characterized in that the shutter is mounted for rotation about a cylindrically surfaced member extending downwardly from the bottom wall.

7. The structure of claim 6 characterized by the inclusion of a delivery plate abutting but below said shutter and secured to the housing, said plate having a delivery aperture aligned beneath said metering aperture.

8. The structure of claim 7 characterized in that the ydelivery plate has pivoted thereupon an angular spout for the delivery of the metered material.

9. In a metering assembly for the dispensing of granular type materials,

a walled housing,

a metering aperture in the shape of a comma in the bottom of the walled housing,

a rotor mounted in the housing land means -for rotating said roto-r having vanes extending generally from end to end thereof and formed and adapted to sweep over the interior bottom surface of the housing,

a shutter assembly including a movable shutter mounted on the housing having an arcuate shaped aperture which may be progressively moved into overlapping relationship with the housing aperture to enable granular material to pass therethrough,

the configuration of the housing and shutter apertures lbeing so related to one another that a constant percentage increase of overlapping aperture area is provided for a xed increment of relative movement of the shutter and housing bottom.

10. The metering assembly of claim 9 further characterized in that only the shutter is movable.

11. The metering assembly of claim 9 further characterized in that the area of the comma shaped housing aperture progressively increases from one end to another, the arcuate shaped shutter aperture having an area sufficient to provide no obstruction to the housing `aperture in the area of overlap.

12. In a metering assembly for agricultural applicators, a housing having an .arcuate bottom wall, side walls and end walls, and an at least partially open top, a metering aperture in the bottom wall, a rotor and means for rotating it, said rotor having vanes extending generally from end to end of the rotor, and closely formed and adapted to sweep said arcuate bottom wall, a shutter formed -and adapted to vary the eiective delivery area of said aperture, a `deflector formed and adapted to direct material entering the open top toward one of said side walls, said dellector being removably mounted in the open top of the housing, and means formed in the housing for alternately receiving and supporting the deflector in different positions, whereby to adapt it for use with two directions of rotation of the rotor.

13. In a metering assembly for agricultural applicators, a housing having an arcuate bottom Wall, side Walls and end walls, and an at least partially open top, a metering aperture in the bottom Wall, a rotor and means for rotating it, said rotor having vanes extending generally `from end to end of the rotor, and closely formed and adapted to sweep said arcuate bottom Wall, a shutter formed and `adapted to vary the eective ldelivery of said aperture, `a Wall extending laterally from the bottom Wall of the housing and forming a plane surface broken lby the metering aperture, said shutter having a plane face rotatably opposed to said plane surface, and calibrated means for holding the shutter throughout a predetermined range of adjustment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 377,923 2/1888 Arnett 222-311 5 611,960 10/1898 Ehmke 222-328 2,710,116 6/1955 Juzwiak zzz-561x 2,728,492 12/1955 FOX 222-310 X 2,852,166 9/1958 Gandrud 222-311 3,127,069 3/1964 Tygart 222-310X 10 M. HENSON WOOD, IR., Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I. DEMBO, Examiner.

A. N. KNOWLES, Assistant Examiner. 

13. IN A METERING ASSEMBLY FOR AGRICULTURAL APPLICATORS, A HOUSING HAVING AN ARCUATE BOTTOM WALL, SIDE WALLS AND END WALLS, AND AN AT LEAST PARTIALLY OPEN TOP, A METERING APERTURE IN THE BOTTOM WALL, A ROTOR AND MEANS FOR ROTATING IT, SAID ROTOR HAVING VANES EXTENDING GENERALLY FROM END TO END OF THE ROTOR, AND CLOSELY FORMED AND ADAPTED TO SWEEP SAID ARCUATE BOTTOM WALL, A SHUTTER FORMED AND ADAPTED TO VARY THE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF SAID APERTURE, A WALL EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE HOUSING AND FORMING A PLANE SURFACE BROKEN BY THE METERING APERTURE, SAID SHUTTER HAVING A PLANE FACE ROTATABLY OPPOSED TO SAID PLANE SURFACE, AND CALIBRATED MEANS FOR HOLDING THE SHUTTER THROUGHOUT A PREDETERMINED RANGE OF ADJUSTMENT. 